Closed All Work, No Play (Tydus)

[Edmund Morealis]

Friend?

Edmund suppressed a chuckle that bubble from within his lungs, which turned into a brighter grin that graced his lips. Most likely this was just the colloquial manner in which the Svefra talked, and it was not as if Edmund was laughing at his newly greeted acquaintance. Rather, his amusement stemmed from the oxymoron that the word 'friend' had become to him. In the political scene that Edmund was used to, your friends would be the first to spread rumors about you and tear you to shreds at the first sign of weakness. To think, in a city that was run by the dynasts, the greatest things they had to fear were each other.

There were, however, far more immediate matters to attend to. Edmund paid close attention to the words which Tydus uttered, though his smile remained unchanging and unflinching throughout the exchange. Such was the benefit of practice.

While cold hard mizas were generally preferred to documentation, Edmund was most absolutely no stranger to the use of the latter for transactions. Certainly such methods methods of initial payment were used commonly in the dynastic scene, for the sums of mizas required for many of the purchases made among the twelve major names would be too large to be able to simply cart around to every negotiation. That the documentation was from another city did not perturb Edmund either, for he sincerely doubted that anyone would risk the wrath of a Kenashian Dynasty. Nevertheless, Edmund maintained healthy caution toward the prospect.

It was a moment of minor inspiration that struck Edmund in regards to how he might proceed when the slave waiting on them arrived. While the dynast was quite sure of what he would be ordering, Tydus would most likely find the experience rather alien. Hearing the menu was a must.

"Please, but first I would like to request a bottle of Blacksugar Reserve, if you would please," Edmund spoke suddenly, addressing the waiter. What a perfect opportunity to both open the meal and allow Tydus to experience the kind of quality that Kenashians regularly enjoyed, rather than their most common product that they exported in great quantity. Eager not to disappoint a dynast, the slave hurried away to fetch a bottle of what was requested, the Gourmet being a small enough eatery to have such refreshments close at hand.

Edmund returned his gaze to Tydus, a. "The Reserve is the most commonly found rum here in Kenash, a step up from our far more common export. It is aged usually for about thirty years I have been told, and so carries with it a deep taste that I must confess to have grown rather fond of."

Barely a chime later, the waiter returned with the requested liquor and the appropriate glasses for the two patrons, pouring for each the dark familiar nectar into their vessels. Edmund took his glass and swirled it around, but beckoned with his other hand for Tydus to take the first sip.

"See for yourself just how it fares against your taste buds," the dynast voiced enticingly to the Svefra. While Tydus was left to that, Edmund turned to the waiter once more. "I would like to order some veal, if you would please. My companion will be hearing the full menu."

Now that Tydus had been able to sample some of the most basic variety of rum available to Kenash and was left to order from an impressive array of dishes, Edmund took the opportunity to take a sip of his own liquor. The dark flavor accented by those hints of lighter touches swirled into his mouth and down his throat, reawakening Edmund's own taste buds. Yes, he would most definitely have to retire to the city more often.

[Tydus Tempest]

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At the very least, Tydus Tempest had the sense to pull the shirt from his shoulder and onto his body. Not out of any sense of modesty, but he had seen the faces of the Kenashians who had passed him and Edward by. They were wide with astonishment. Obviously, the Tempest's condition offended them, and so as to not jeopardize his relationship with Edmund so soon, he pulled his shirt on. However, that did nothing to hide the wet nature of his pants, droplets of water splashing onto the floor with each step. In fact, it had taken such a turn that a slave had, before allowing Tydus his chance to sit, placed a towel rag above the seat cushion so as to not muck up the chair as badly.

The Svefra paid it no mind, and the conversation with Edmund had, until that point, gone entirely smoothly.

And thus, when the slave arrived with the bottle of Blacksugar Reserve, filling two glasses with the rum, Tydus only troubled himself with the fragrance of the drink, so far from his lips. His mouth began to salivate, though closed as it was, it remained hidden. His eyes immediately found their way to the target. The rum even looked different from the common export, as Edmund had stated. Taking a lighter hue than the Morealis Selection, the Tempest took his time looking over the bubbles that lived at the base of the glass.

He noted the lighter hue again and stared for but a moment before picking the glass up. Taking a single sip, the familiar burn set through the Tempest's throat. Yet, there was a distinction. Stronger, yet smoother. Crisp, with a distinct, sweeter taste than that of the exported rum. Approval marked the Tempest's lips as he lowered the glass, yet doubt still lingered in his mind.

Is this really the best they have? Doubtful. It's very, very good. But it's by no means the legendary elixir of a drink that I've heard tales on the seas about.

The Shining Spirit. The Dastardly Draft. Old tales from his podmates, however, could not be entirely trusted. Particularly from the lips of Cora Tempest. Yet, still. He hungered for the chance to try the very best. The slave was patiently waiting for Tydus to finish his drink so that he could place his order. However, Tydus was not yet ready to listen.

"Very, very good. Was that... caramel I tasted? Spice in the rum? It's a fascinating concoction, to be sure. I think I'll buy some for myself, even. However, you stated that this rum is the most commonly sought after in the city of Kenash. Commonly sought after is not exactly what my employer has in mind. He seeks the very best of the best. Would you please consider telling me about the higher tiers of rum available?"

The Tempest did not want to do wrong by Caelum and offer him a common drink. He had been hired to obtain a greater aspiration than the common stores, and he meant to do it. However, he was, indeed, enthralled by the drink in his hand. It made him want to partake in the higher tier even more. But, that was to come later. First, he turned to the slave and offered a smile, motioning for him to begin with the menu.

"Ah, thank you, sir. Today, our meals of choice include the finest cut of tenderloin beef. Sirloin, and ribs are also available. We also have lamb, the veal that Mr. Morealis is partaking in. And of course, we have pork made from our fattest and most delicious shires. We also have a variety of fish available for your pleasure. This extends to cod, salmon, octopus, lobster and marlin. As well as select cuts of drumthroat."

It was, indeed, a very large selection. And to be fair, other than the words beef and the varieties of fish, the Tempest was lost. He'd been raised with the consumption from the sea. Beef, even though the word was known to him was a foreign and somewhat appalling thing. However, the smirk cast upon his features at the thought of consuming a drumthroat. Just two seasons ago, the massive shark had attacked the Laviku's Wrath as Tydus and Kel sought out to rescue Callipsia and Nerida. While the other three were gone, and the memories faded, the amusement at the choice lingered.

"I'll take the drumthroat, please."

"Very good, sir."

And with that, the slave was off.

Fratava | Hypnotic Fratava | Common | Hypnotic Common

[Edmund Morealis]

Edmund could imagine how the scene must look to any onlookers. Seated across from his was an under-dressed partially-soaked visitor to Kenash who was clearly as out of his element as a fish out of water. A rather apt comparison, Edmund figured, considering the race of his newly made acquaintance. Perhaps there would be talk, of a dynast inviting an outsider to dinner, but Edmund doubted it. Most people had plans of their own to be fulfilling, their own matters to attend to, generally uninterested in the affairs of others. The likeliest scenario would be an article in the Gazette that most everyone would disregard nearly entirely, a consequence that did not come even close to the compensation that Tydus' business would bring the Morealis Dynasty.

Observing over the top of his own glass, Edmund saw that Tydus' facial reaction to his taste of Reserve was one that he had more or less predicted. Impressed, but the Svefra was clearly not blown out of the water, nor had Edmund expected him to. This was quite literally just a taste of the quality that the Morealis had to offer, and the dynast fully expected Tydus to pursue now that he had his appetizer. It was a common tactic among businessmen, though its utility went beyond the realm of business, as Edmund had ample opportunity to experience.

While Edmund had taken but a sip, Tydus seemed intent to finish his first glass when he picked it up. Quite clearly he was new to Kenash, but once more Edmund did not mind. It only meant that they had both set their glasses down when Tydus was prepared to exchange words.

"Of course," Edmund answered, his smile unwavering throughout their entire encounter. Such was the skill granted to him after a childhood of grooming. "Blacksugar Reserve is only the most commonly found because it is the most commonly made available. You asked for an assurance as to the quality of our rum. I believe that bottle is all the assurance you should require."

It was a fine line between confidence and pretentiousness.

Tydus' question was a broad one that had multiple lengthy answers, so Edmund let the slave finish relayed the menu and taking orders before continuing. Already the words were bubbling to the surface of the caretaker's consciousness, forming articulate sentences quickly as they fell into place. His mind was ablaze, as it often was when he was doing business.

Steepling his fingers for a moment, Edmund went through a quick mental catalog of all the rums he knew and all he knew about them, selecting where to start. He did not wish to give incomplete answers. "Blacksugar Reserve is the cheapest of rums sold here in Kenash. The rum you are undoubtedly more familiar with is called Morealis Selection, which is exported almost in its entirety. A fine product to be sure, but of an inferior quality regardless. That which is most numerous is easiest to export." Perhaps it was not necessary to reinforce any further the notion that the rum found in Kenash was much better, but it was a tactic Edmund used anyway. Life did not award half-points.

"Also of interest you are two rums of much higher quality that are incredibly difficult to come across if you are not one of the twelve Dynasties," continued Edmund, his eyes switching between his glass and his acquaintance. "The finest is Blacksugar Silver, a bottle of which is priced conservatively at about three-hundred gold Mizas even in Kenash. More affordable, though still expensive for Freeborn and outsiders, would be Maathias' Selection. It has a distinct citrus flavor in its rich texture, wispy yet dark at the same time. It is a beverage that most people not of the Dynasties rarely have the pleasure to partake in."

It would take some time for the fine cooks behind the great doors of the Gourmet to prepare their requested meals. Each order was cooked fresh, as was expected of such a grand establishment, and it allowed the two new business partners to further discuss their affairs.

Lifting a finger, Edmund looked right at Tydus, swirling the rum in his glass slightly to amuse himself. "However, I must alert you to the elevated expense incurred by exporting these products. The exact taxes imposed are not within the realm of my knowledge. All I can guarantee that they are not usually exorbitant, although they can be if great quantities are purchased."

Though perhaps Edmund should have known the tax rate for the rum, he was not overly bothered by it. After all, it was not his business, and it was not his responsibility to memorize the minutia of someone else's work. If he had chosen to assist his father in brewing then that would be another tale, but the story being told was a caretaker sitting across from a Svefra customer, not a distiller. This was what fate had ordained for the both of them. Edmund was intent on pushing this as far as it would go, for as long as he was able.

"With all this in mind," Edmund concluded, "I would in fact recommend Maathias' Selection for your employer. It is a good balance of quality and quantity. Do you concur?"

[Tydus Tempest]

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The Svefra's gaze would not the common man to assume that he was a person of thought. His eyes shone with the vibrant joy of having partaken in the the precious elixir known as rum. Whil by no means was the rum that he had consumed of the best quality, it was crisp and strong. It spoke wonders about the city he was in, for if the mediocre and the sub-par of what was Kenash was at the level he had just taken, how much greater was what followed? The idea of taking the brand upon his flesh, while appalling, grew less and less daunting as he found that the reward for doing so was so much sweeter than what he could possibly imagine. The Tempest scion had no intention of living his life in the cage that was known as being landlocked. the sea was his true home and in it he would find the life that he wished to live.

However, the sea, while it provided everything that both his soul and his body required, did not supply to him the decadence of a life that was greater. It did not allow him the sort of entitlement of luxury that he found himself craving. And it was in that desire, found and perpetuated, that Tydus considered the world of commerce his ally. Barter did not provide this sort of existence. It required one to not have acumen so much as stock and available good to exchange. Acumen was what Tydus sought after in all of his life, and he found it not only staring him in the face, but also offering him some of the luxury that the Tempest desired.

And more still to come.

Edmund, like Tydus, saw past the clothing that one wore. He saw in Tydus an opportunity. He could see it in the Morealis' face, and though Tydus could not presume to know what sort of life the Morealis lived in the estate, he could presume to know the soul of the person standing before him. In Edmund's eyes he saw a deep, powerful ambition. The very sort of ambition that perverted the natural prejudices of a person and built into them acceptance.

Acceptance of a visitor wearing naught but a pair of pants and a charming smile. The very same sort of acceptance that Tydus would extend to slaves and Freeborn alike. Amicability in the face of anything that could be of use was the mask that Tydus needed to wear. And he decided that he would need to keep this lesson in mind when he returned to Riverfall. Even the Akalaks deserve a modicum of respect, even if it was a lie that would be reinforced and encouraged through the use of Hypnotic inflection.

The smile that slowly formed upon his features was one of acceptance as he stared the Morealis in the eye. He caught what the man had said. The varying degrees of rum. The Blacksugar Reserve, which was what Tydus had consumed many a time in his adult life. The Morealis Selection, which was whay he had enjoyed just moments before. An intoxicating concoction, to be sure. and the remaining two. Matthias' Selection and Blacksugar Silver. The Tempest wished to try the better varieties, and would fight for that privilege while he answered.

"That sounds agreeable, Mr. Morealis To be true, the expense is not a problem at all. My employer has entrusted me with a very generous supply of his wealth in order to make this deal happen. I would, however, as I implied earlier, wish to provide both myself and my employer a sample of both Matthias' Selection and Blacksugar Silver.

The former so that my employer will not have to open his supply just to partake in a sample of the rum. The latter, of course, for the event that he decides that he wants to order in at the highest tier of what Kenash has to offer. He is a very covetous man, you see. I can entice him with the rum and provide you with a steady customer, which is beneficial for everyone involved."

Fratava | Hypnotic Fratava | Common | Hypnotic Common